Have you noticed that there has been an absolute explosion of independent magazines in the last couple years? I couldn’t be more tickled.
In a world where words and pictures flick by in endless feeds, content feels throwaway and fleeting. More than ever, I look forward to a coveted Sunday ritual: sitting down with tea and a magazine and getting lost in recipes, interiors, design or fashion. It’s the ultimate visual and verbal snack.
If my go-tos like House Beautiful or Bon Appétit are a Kit Kat bar, this recent crop of independent magazines are like a Vosges truffle— printed on thick, decadent stock, full of moody photos, intelligent articles, and lots of white space… delicious.
Many of these magazines are Kickstarted by avid, supportive fans, and they thoughtfully cover very specific slices of life and human interest. So if you fancy yourself wanting to dive deep into lifestyle and esoteric arts, there is an independent magazine out there to satiate you. Also, most only publish quarterly and in small runs, so they feel limited, physical, precious… the opposite of the internet, basically.
Have a look at some of my favorite new independent magazines, and if you’re interested in reading a new one each month, subscription services like Magpie or Stack deliver.
Anorak: “The Happy Mag for Kids”
Apartamento: “An everyday life interiors magazine”
Cereal: Travel & Style
GFF Magazine: Good Food (Forever) that also happens to be Gluten-Free (Forever).
Cherry Bombe: “A beautifully designed biannual publication that celebrates women and food”
Chickpea Magazine: “A vegan food & writing quarterly”
Golly: “A new approach to the women’s interest genre.”
Kinfolk: “A slow lifestyle magazine that explores ways for readers to simplify their lives, cultivate community and spend more time with their friends and family.”
Knit Wit: “A biannual, print-only magazine about fiber art, textiles and the people who put it all together.”
Offscreen Magazine: “A print magazine about the people behind the bits and pixels”
Trouve: “A bi-annual printed collection of found creativity.”
Uppercase Magazine: “Uppercase publishes books and magazines for the creative and curious.”
Wrap Magazine: “Wrap is a celebration of illustration, design and creative culture.”
Lucky Peach: “A quarterly journal of food and writing.”
Are you crushing on a magazine that I haven’t mentioned? Let me know in the comments.